As parties to a dispute must have no direct contact with the Arbitration Panel except on the day of the hearing, all communications and inquiries regarding a labour dispute case should be directed to the Secretariat.
The key functions of the Secretariat are to receive and process labour dispute cases forwarded from the Ministry of Labour, facilitate arbitrators selection by the parties, act as administrative intermediary for all communications between the arbitration panel and the parties, collect and distribute documents and other communications relating to arbitration proceedings and deliver the arbitral awards. In addition, the Secretariat is responsible for case management.
Pre-Hearing Requirements
Prior to the formal hearing of an industrial dispute, the Secretariat of the Arbitration Council requires the parties to complete several tasks, including:
Selection of the Arbitration Panel
Each party must choose an Arbitrator from their list to hear the case by completing an Arbitrator Selection Form
- The worker party selects an Arbitrator from the Employee List;
- The employer party selects an Arbitrator from the Employer List; and
- The two arbitrators selected by the parties select the third Arbitrator from the Ministry List.
The Secretariat will then schedule the hearing date and notify the parties of the date.
Submission of Evidence
Prior to the hearing parties are also encouraged to submit any evidence they may have in relation to their dispute to assist the Arbitration Panel and support any claims the parties may have in relation to their dispute.
Forms
Depending on the type of dispute, the Secretariat of the Arbitration Council may also require parties to complete a form. Parties in dispute are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the forms and the content that may be required.